Larry Donnell, defended by Eric Reid, is unable to hold on to one of the three consecutive fade calls that failed late in the Giants' 16-10 loss to the 49ers Sunday at MetLife Stadium.Paul J. Bereswill

After Eli Manning threw unsuccessfully on four straight goal-line plays — including three consecutive fades — late in Sunday’s loss to San Francisco, Tom Coughlin said they should have run at least once. But McAdoo, speaking for the first time since his much-discussed and dissected play-calling, defiantly stood his ground Thursday.

“We talk about matchups in our room. First things first, we had a play call that was a run with a potential throw if we got the matchup we wanted, and they took the box away and we took the matchup,’’ McAdoo said of the 16-10 loss. “It happened two other times in the series.

“Each time, we liked the matchup. It’s a league of matchups. If we throw it a little bit better, we protect it a little bit better and we go up and make the plays that we’ve been making in the past, then we’re singing a little different tune.

“At the same point in time, I’m not going to stand up here and apologize for the play-calling. I have faith in the perimeter players to go up and make those plays one-on-one, and if we go out and we have the same set of plays and the same circumstance, I’ll take those matchups any day.’’
If not the results.

McAdoo — the Giants’ 37-year-old offensive coordinator, handed playcalling duties for the first time — echoed Coughlin and Manning’s explanations. On first-and-goal from the 4, McAdoo called a run with a pass option, with Manning switching to the pass because the 49ers had stacked the box.

“He chose a one-on-one matchup with a receiver as opposed to a dirty box on the first play and handing it to the runner,’’ McAdoo said of Manning, who checked to a fade route to Odell Beckham Jr., one that fell incomplete in the right corner with the standout rookie well-covered.

Eli Manning and Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdooAP

Then on second down, with Beckham doubled to the right, Manning threw a fade to the single-covered Rueben Randle on the left, but just beyond his reach.

After a timeout to avoid delay of game, the Giants broke the huddle and found Beckham doubled yet again. And they went fade yet again, this time to Larry Donnell on the left, the 6-foot-6 tight end matched up in single coverage against 6-foot-1 defensive back Eric Reid. Donnell got his hands on the ball, but let the 49ers safety break up the pass.

On fourth down with 4:50 left, the Giants went no huddle and the 49ers dropped eight with Manning — after getting pressured — throwing into coverage at the goal line, his pass for wideout Preston Parker getting picked off by Chris Borland.

“You see scoring on the first play, as a potential you see possible run, possibly two runs out of that series,’’ McAdoo said. “They took the box away on one of them for sure, the other one was 50/50 whether we could run it or not, but we had the matchup we were looking for. But you look at everything as a whole.’’

Asked if he thought Donnell or Randle should have made those catches, McAdoo said, “I think that I’ll take those matchups any day of the week. I’d take them last week, and I’ll take them again this week. I have confidence and faith in those guys that they’ll go up and make the play.’’